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classyivy1 · 05-19-2004, 12:27 AM

Another interesting piece about the popularity of calypso in North America during the early 1900's. Wow, I'm sure most of us never knew that there was a calypso fad in this country... Sorry if it's long winded...

"Calypso in the Transatlantic World, 1930-1970: An Overview
Calypso, a form of topical song that originated in Trinidad, was one of the first popular music traditions from outside North America and Europe to be commercially recorded. In 1912 a top Trinidadian band led by Lovey (George Bailey) traveled to New York to record for both Columbia and Victor. Two years later Victor representatives visited Trinidad to record calypso and a variety of other local music styles. During the 1910s and 1920s, American companies continued to record calypso in New York for distribution to Caribbean and Latin American markets. It was during the 1930s, however, that recording and international distribution of calypso intensified and the international travel of calypsonians (calypso singers) increased. From the 1930s through the 1960s, media and migration disseminated calypso throughout the transatlantic world, thus creating a popular music that was detached from its original social contexts in Trinidad and adapted to a variety of new contexts in the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Outside Trinidad, calypso achieved its greatest commercial presence in the United States, where it had a significant impact on the nation's popular culture. During the 1930s several of Trinidad's top calypsonians, such as Atilla the Hun, Lion, Tiger and Executor, recorded in New York and appeared on radio broadcasts. Some of these artists also performed for the local West Indian immigrant community and for general audiences in Greenwich Village and other entertainment districts. The lyrics of their calypsos commented both on events in Trinidad and on their new experiences in the United States. During World War II the presence of American military bases in Trinidad heightened interest in calypso and paved the way for the Andrews Sisters' version of "Rum and Coca-Cola" to become one of the top hits of the era. This song, written by the calypsonian Lord Invader, sparked a major copyright battle in the courts, which Invader eventually won. During the postwar period, calypso was also incorporated into the American folk music revival through concerts such as those presented by Alan Lomax at New York's Town Hall.

A continued calypso presence in the American recording industry and clubs during the postwar years became an outright craze in 1956 with the release of Harry Belafonte's Calypso, the first album to sell over one million copies in entertainment history. From late 1956 through the first half of 1957, dozens of calypso records were released by both West Indian and American popular singers, ranging from the Duke of Iron and Lord Flea to Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney and the Easy Riders. During this same period, nightclubs from New York and Miami to Chicago and Los Angeles hired any calypso act they could find, while calypso singers appeared in television variety shows and sitcoms. Hollywood released three calypso-themed movies, with stars like Herb Jeffries and Angie ################inson and calypso singers such as the Duke of Iron and Maya Angelou (in her pre-literary days). The entertainment industry initially believed that calypso would lead to the demise of rock and roll. Though the craze soon faded, calypso remained a component of the folk music revival of the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to be popular with vacationers in the Caribbean.

Following the 1965 Immigration Act, West Indian migration to the United States increased substantially. An expanding West Indian community in New York provided a foundation for a calypso scene that included West Indian-owned record companies in Brooklyn and regular calypso performances during the Labor Day Carnival. By the 1980s Carnivals, featuring calypso, were also developing in Boston, Washington, Miami and other American cities. Though calypso became established as a major form of expression in West Indian immigrant communities, it no longer had a high visibility in the wider American popular culture.

During the mid-twentieth century, Britain also developed a vibrant calypso scene. As British citizens, West Indians had been migrating to London since the early part of the century. By the 1930s West Indian musicians, such as Sam Manning and Cyril Blake, were actively performing in London. During World War II West Indian music became more prominent in London clubs and calypsos were broadcast on BBC Radio.

A major increase in West Indian migration to Britain in the postwar years is symbolized by the arrival in 1948 of the MV Empire Windrush, which included Trinidadian calypsonians Lord Kitchener and Lord Beginner and numerous other artists. Kitchener and Beginner began recording in London in 1950. In 1951 Trinidadian calypso singers, steelband musicians and dancers appeared at the Festival of Britain, a major cultural showcase that considerably heightened the status of local art forms back in Trinidad. During the 1950s calypsos in Britain addressed a variety of imperial topics, such as migration, cricket, royalty, colonialism and independence movements. By the time of Trinidad's independence in 1962, however, calypsonians were returning to their homeland. Though the calypso scene in Britain declined, it took on new life in the late 1960s with the rise of London's Notting Hill Carnival, which rivaled the Labor Day Carnival in Brooklyn. Though the overall popularization and commercialization of calypso in Britain during the mid-twentieth century was less extensive than in the United States, London nonetheless served as an important center of calypso creativity and international dissemination.

In the course of the twentieth century, calypso artists and recordings also reached markets in numerous other parts of the transatlantic world. Trinidadian calypso shaped similar song traditions in British Guiana (Guyana), Grenada, Barbados and other territories in the eastern anglophone Caribbean. West Indian migrants took calypso to Venezuela, Panama and Nicaragua. In the postwar years, calypso was regularly performed in tourist hotels in Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. A U.S. Navy steelband, based in Puerto Rico, performed calypsos on its worldwide tours, while French Creole-speaking Antilleans and Dutch/Sranan-speaking Surinamese also experimented with the musical form. Calypso became popular in West and South Africa, through recordings and direct contact between West Indians and Africans in Africa and Britain. Calypsos were recorded and performed in France, Germany and other European countries, and became an integral component of the Caribana festival in Toronto's large West Indian community. Outside the anglophone world, calypsos were often translated into local languages and performed in styles that drew on local musical traditions. "

Taken from http://www.casbah.ac.uk/newsreport4.stm

05-19-2004, 12:27 AM	#11 (permalink)
classyivy1 An Ivy of Class Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Queens Posts: 1,986 Credits: 576	Another interesting piece about the popularity of calypso in North America during the early 1900's. Wow, I'm sure most of us never knew that there was a calypso fad in this country... Sorry if it's long winded... "Calypso in the Transatlantic World, 1930-1970: An Overview Calypso, a form of topical song that originated in Trinidad, was one of the first popular music traditions from outside North America and Europe to be commercially recorded. In 1912 a top Trinidadian band led by Lovey (George Bailey) traveled to New York to record for both Columbia and Victor. Two years later Victor representatives visited Trinidad to record calypso and a variety of other local music styles. During the 1910s and 1920s, American companies continued to record calypso in New York for distribution to Caribbean and Latin American markets. It was during the 1930s, however, that recording and international distribution of calypso intensified and the international travel of calypsonians (calypso singers) increased. From the 1930s through the 1960s, media and migration disseminated calypso throughout the transatlantic world, thus creating a popular music that was detached from its original social contexts in Trinidad and adapted to a variety of new contexts in the Americas, Europe and Africa. Outside Trinidad, calypso achieved its greatest commercial presence in the United States, where it had a significant impact on the nation's popular culture. During the 1930s several of Trinidad's top calypsonians, such as Atilla the Hun, Lion, Tiger and Executor, recorded in New York and appeared on radio broadcasts. Some of these artists also performed for the local West Indian immigrant community and for general audiences in Greenwich Village and other entertainment districts. The lyrics of their calypsos commented both on events in Trinidad and on their new experiences in the United States. During World War II the presence of American military bases in Trinidad heightened interest in calypso and paved the way for the Andrews Sisters' version of "Rum and Coca-Cola" to become one of the top hits of the era. This song, written by the calypsonian Lord Invader, sparked a major copyright battle in the courts, which Invader eventually won. During the postwar period, calypso was also incorporated into the American folk music revival through concerts such as those presented by Alan Lomax at New York's Town Hall. A continued calypso presence in the American recording industry and clubs during the postwar years became an outright craze in 1956 with the release of Harry Belafonte's Calypso, the first album to sell over one million copies in entertainment history. From late 1956 through the first half of 1957, dozens of calypso records were released by both West Indian and American popular singers, ranging from the Duke of Iron and Lord Flea to Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney and the Easy Riders. During this same period, nightclubs from New York and Miami to Chicago and Los Angeles hired any calypso act they could find, while calypso singers appeared in television variety shows and sitcoms. Hollywood released three calypso-themed movies, with stars like Herb Jeffries and Angie ################inson and calypso singers such as the Duke of Iron and Maya Angelou (in her pre-literary days). The entertainment industry initially believed that calypso would lead to the demise of rock and roll. Though the craze soon faded, calypso remained a component of the folk music revival of the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to be popular with vacationers in the Caribbean. Following the 1965 Immigration Act, West Indian migration to the United States increased substantially. An expanding West Indian community in New York provided a foundation for a calypso scene that included West Indian-owned record companies in Brooklyn and regular calypso performances during the Labor Day Carnival. By the 1980s Carnivals, featuring calypso, were also developing in Boston, Washington, Miami and other American cities. Though calypso became established as a major form of expression in West Indian immigrant communities, it no longer had a high visibility in the wider American popular culture. During the mid-twentieth century, Britain also developed a vibrant calypso scene. As British citizens, West Indians had been migrating to London since the early part of the century. By the 1930s West Indian musicians, such as Sam Manning and Cyril Blake, were actively performing in London. During World War II West Indian music became more prominent in London clubs and calypsos were broadcast on BBC Radio. A major increase in West Indian migration to Britain in the postwar years is symbolized by the arrival in 1948 of the MV Empire Windrush, which included Trinidadian calypsonians Lord Kitchener and Lord Beginner and numerous other artists. Kitchener and Beginner began recording in London in 1950. In 1951 Trinidadian calypso singers, steelband musicians and dancers appeared at the Festival of Britain, a major cultural showcase that considerably heightened the status of local art forms back in Trinidad. During the 1950s calypsos in Britain addressed a variety of imperial topics, such as migration, cricket, royalty, colonialism and independence movements. By the time of Trinidad's independence in 1962, however, calypsonians were returning to their homeland. Though the calypso scene in Britain declined, it took on new life in the late 1960s with the rise of London's Notting Hill Carnival, which rivaled the Labor Day Carnival in Brooklyn. Though the overall popularization and commercialization of calypso in Britain during the mid-twentieth century was less extensive than in the United States, London nonetheless served as an important center of calypso creativity and international dissemination. In the course of the twentieth century, calypso artists and recordings also reached markets in numerous other parts of the transatlantic world. Trinidadian calypso shaped similar song traditions in British Guiana (Guyana), Grenada, Barbados and other territories in the eastern anglophone Caribbean. West Indian migrants took calypso to Venezuela, Panama and Nicaragua. In the postwar years, calypso was regularly performed in tourist hotels in Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. A U.S. Navy steelband, based in Puerto Rico, performed calypsos on its worldwide tours, while French Creole-speaking Antilleans and Dutch/Sranan-speaking Surinamese also experimented with the musical form. Calypso became popular in West and South Africa, through recordings and direct contact between West Indians and Africans in Africa and Britain. Calypsos were recorded and performed in France, Germany and other European countries, and became an integral component of the Caribana festival in Toronto's large West Indian community. Outside the anglophone world, calypsos were often translated into local languages and performed in styles that drew on local musical traditions. " Taken from http://www.casbah.ac.uk/newsreport4.stm Last edited by classyivy1; 05-19-2004 at 12:29 AM..